Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
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Phone: 202-393-3434
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PRESS RELEASE
September 18, 2008
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434
BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S AMBASSADORIAL NOMINEE FOR TURKEY TO FACE SENATE
FOREIGN RELATIONS PANEL
Ending Denial through Affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, Ending the
Blockade are Key Issues to be Addressed
Washington, DC -The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, has
scheduled the nomination hearing of Bush’s Ambassadorial Nominee for
Turkey, James F. Jeffrey, for Wednesday, September 24, 2008, reported
the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).
"We are hopeful the nomination hearing is not a question and answer
session, which in the past has resulted in equivocating on the
historical fact of the Armenian Genocide and America’s proud record of
humanitarian intervention," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "This represents a critical opportunity for the
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey to go further than Ambassador Yovanovitch
and this time to squarely affirm the Armenian Genocide. The
U.S. record of affirmation is clear as evidenced by the 1951
U.S. filing before the International Court of Justice. The Armenian
Genocide is an historical fact and Mr. Jeffrey would be well served to
follow in the tradition of Ambassador Henry Morgenthau," continued
Ardouny.
In addition to its campaign of denial and application of article 301
of its penal code, which punishes discussion of the Armenian Genocide,
for more than a decade, Turkey, in coordination with Azerbaijan, has
blockaded Armenia. The Turkish blockade not only costs Armenia
hundreds of millions of dollars, but also undermines the stated
U.S. policy goals of regional cooperation and economic integration in
the South Caucasus Region.
While Turkey’s President Gul did accept the bold invitation by
Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan to visit Armenia on the occasion of
a soccer game between the two countries earlier this month, more
concrete steps are needed, including establishing working diplomatic
relations and a process of normalization that removes blockades, opens
borders, restores economic relations, and strives toward the peaceful
resolution of differences and disputes in the region. In fact, the
U.S. Administration has repeatedly called upon Turkey "to restore
economic, political and cultural links with Armenia."
Jeffrey, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, currently
serves as Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security
Advisor at the White House. Prior to this, he served as Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern
Affairs. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission
in Baghdad, United States Ambassador to Albania, and three other
assignments in Turkey. Ambassador Jeffrey received his bachelor’s
degree from Northeastern University and his master’s degree from
Boston University.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public
understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a
501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
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NR#2008-065